ISLAMABAD: Four mid-rangehotels in the capitalwill be used as quarantine facilities for suspected Covid-19 patients, specifically passengers travelling to Pakistan from other countries.

The capital administration has approached a number of hotels asking them to make arrangements to accommodate passengers after a recent Islamabad High Court (IHC) decision passed on a petition filed by Hotel Margalla, which allowed the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to convert the hotel into a quarantine centre.

The move comes after the government decided to partially resume international flight operations, as the existing four hotel quarantine facilities may not be able to accommodate hundreds of passengers.

On March 16 and March 22, the NDMA asked four mid-range hotels to offer their facilities to temporarily house suspected Covid-19 patients.

While most of the hotels were reluctant to do so and one - Hotel Margalla - went into litigation fearing that doing so would damage their reputation and negatively effect clientele, the Redison Hotel volunteered its facilities and recalled staff to serve its residents.

Capital admin approaching hotels to convert them into quarantine centres after govt decision to partially resume international flight operations

The hotel’s owner, Raja Sajjad, offered staff perks and privileges and assured them they would be provided protective equipment during working hours to persuade them to return to work.

He said all 50 rooms in the hotel have been placed at the disposal of the NDMA since March 22; around 350 to 400 people, mostly passengers, have stayed at the quarantine centre since then. They were all allowed to leave when they tested negative for Covid-19.

The capital administration later converted Hillview Hotel, Islamabad Hotel and Hotel Margalla into quarantine centres as well. Several hotels along Murree Road have also been contacted, and will likely be used as quarantine centres as well.

On the Hotel Margalla petition, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah observed that the federal government “has taken several measures to prevent spread of the novel coronavirus” to safeguard the public at large and their fundamental rights.

The court order also provided remedy for hotels used as quarantine centres, stating: “In case the petitioner hotel suffers loss, it would not be without remedy because in such an eventuality remedies available under the law can be resorted to later.”

Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Hamza Shafqaat said the government would compensate hotels that are turned into quarantine centres since their premises and facilities are being used for official purposes. He added that the generosity of any hotel voluntarily offering its services would be appreciated.

The NDMA has also converted educational institutions, public halls meant for large exhibitions such as the Expo Centre in Karachi and Lahore or the Pak-China Centre in Islamabad, hostels and even train coaches into makeshift quarantine facilities to prevent a coronavirus outbreak.

Published in Dawn, April 5th, 2020